Extension-ladder



(No Model.)

G. ALBBE.

.EXTENSION LADDER. No. 364,461. P atented June 7`, l -7`.

c c/J W *3 f "B 1C C IF WITNES SES #Tf-' ATTORNEYS.

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

GEORGE ALBEE, OF SUSQUEHANNA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXTENSION-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,461, dated June 7,1887.

Application filed May 19, |856. Serial No. 202,654.

1b @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ALBEE, o1 Susquehanna, inthe county ofSusquehanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Extension-Ladders', of which the following' is aspecification, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming apart thereof, in which- Figure l is a side sectional elevation ol' myimproved ladder. Fig. 2 is a'front elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail view ofthe hook, showing the relation of the parts when the ladder isshortened.

Similar letters of reference' indicate corresponding parts in thedifferent figures ot' the drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and convenientextension-ladder which will be automatically fastened when extended, andwhich may be unfastened and shortened without handling the fasteningdevices.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement ofparts, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed ont in the claim.

The laddersections A A', which are similar lo eachother, are provided onopposite sides, near their ends, with clips B, the clips upon oneladder-section being 'oppositely arranged with respect to the clips onthe other laddersection, the clips of each laddersection being bent overto engage the side bars, C, of the other ladder-section, so that theladdersections may be slid upon each other to extend or slierten theladder.

To the inner surface of each side bar G of the ladder-section A', nearthe upper end thereof, is pivoted a hook, D, which is prolonged beyondthe notch c, formed therein, and is curved backward to engage a stoppin,

b, proiecting from the side of the side bar,.

and limiting the outward movement of the hook D, so that it is normallyheld in the path of the rounds of the ladder-section A. A flat spring,c, secured to the side bars, C, of the ladder-section A', pressesagainst the back of the hook D and forces the hook D outward in thedirection of the ladder-section A.

To the side of the hook D, above the notch (No model.)

c, is loosely pivoted a latch, d, which is bent laterally or offset, sothat it may fall by its own gravitylinto contact with the point ofthehook D when the hook is released from one of the rounds of theladderseetion A. The hooks D, upon opposite sides of the ladder, aresimilar, and when the laddervsection A is pushed upward its roundsengage the prolonged end ot the hook D and push it backward. They alsoraise the latcli d from the point of the hook, so that any one of therounds of the section A may be brought into engagement with the hook Dbefore the latch d drops forward ont-o the point of the hook.

By allowing the ladder-section A to drop, so as to permitthe round torest in the notch a, the section A will be retained in the desiredposition. When it is desired to shorten the ladder, the section A israised sufficiently to allow the latch d to drop from the round and restupon the point of the hook D, when the ladder-section A may be lowered,the rounds riding over the latches d, as shown in Fig. 3, being in thismanner prevented from dropping into the notches a of the hooks.

It will thus be seen that when it is desired to extend the ladder allthat is required is to push the section A upward and bring one of itsrounds into engagement with the hooks D, and when it is desired toshorten the ladder it is only necessary toraise the section Asufficiently to allow the latches d to drop onto the points ot' thehooks D, when the section A may be allowed to fall by its own gravity.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In an extension-ladder, the combination, with the sections A A', thesection A' being provided with pins Z1, of the hooks D, havingbackwardly curved extensions beyond the notches a in the hooks, thesprings e, and the latches d, pivoted to the hooks, substantially asherein shown and described.

GEORGE ALBEE.

Witnesses:

J AMES L. BAGLEY, DAVID MASON.

